Relationship Between Parental Communication Patterns and Self-Efficacy in Adolescents with Parental Substance Abuse

Objectives Since an individual’s personality and behavior are mainly shaped in the family environment, parental substance abuse and its consequences can lead to confusion and instability in the family environment and reduce child-parent relationship. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between different aspects of parental communication patterns and self-efficacy in adolescents with parental substance abuse. Materials & Methods In this descriptive correlational study, a total of 100 adolescents with parental substance abuse were selected via random sampling. The data collection tools included the parental communication patterns scale and self-efficacy questionnaire. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 20, using linear regression analysis and Pearson’s correlation coefficient test. Results The mean age of the adolescents was 14.5±2.5 years. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed that the adolescents’ self-efficacy score was directly correlated with the score of conversation orientation dimension (a parental communication pattern) and inversely correlated with the dimension of conformity orientation (P<0.001). Conclusion: Development of educational programs to promote communication skills, positive family interactions, decision-making, and flexibility can change the unhealthy family environment into a healthy and productive one, which promotes self-efficacy beliefs in children.


Introduction
Substance abuse imposes significant socioeconomic costs on communities. It has irreparable consequences for not only the individual, but also other people and the entire community. Since personality and behavior are mainly shaped in the family environment, substance abuse, both directly and indirectly, can destabilize moral and social foundations of families (1). Substance abuse and its consequences can be mirrored in family relationships, especially parent-child relationship (2,3). Poor parental monitoring of children's behaviors, parental conflicts, low quality of parentchild interaction, unstable family environment, and lack of intimacy and discipline are common in families with substance abuse (4).
An unstable and confused family environment reduces children's self-confidence and social skills, especially during adolescence, since adolescents are expected to deal with their problems effectively through empowerment and self-efficacy (5). In this regard, a previous study showed that conflict and incompatibility were inversely correlated with children's self-efficacy (6,7). Another study showed that parental participation and interaction in child rearing had significant effects on children's self-efficacy (8). Furthermore, according to a study by Mohammadi et al., an unconventional family structure and parental incompetence in raising children can decrease the self-efficacy scores of adolescents with irresponsible parents (9).
Not only adolescents with parental substance abuse face numerous problems in their families, but also humiliating, angry, and indifferent behaviors of other people in the community impose an additional burden (10). Differences between adolescents raised in a cultural and informed environment with high moral values and those raised in an unhealthy environment arise from differences in these healthy and unhealthy environments (11). In this regard, Bendura argued that healthy families play an important role in the development of children's self-efficacy beliefs through establishment of efficient interaction patterns, which influence children (12,13).

Materials & Methods
This descriptive, correlational study was conducted from November 2014 to April 2016 on adolescents with parental substance abuse. The sample size was calculated to be 100, based on similar studies (power=90%; α=0.05; and dropout rate=20%) (16).

The Research and Technology Deputy of Shahrekord
University of Medical Sciences approved the study protocol, and permission was obtained from officials to conduct the study. Two centers were selected by lottery sampling. The researcher visited these two centers and explained the study objectives to the officials. A list of withdrawing parents with substance abuse was prepared in the centers, and 100 people were selected via random sampling. Then, the researcher contacted the parents, and if willing, the adolescents completed the questionnaires in the centers. If the parents did not consent to their children's presence in the center, the questionnaires were handed to them to have their children complete the questionnaires and then return them to the center officials.
To increase coordination and cooperation in completing the questionnaires, we asked the center officials for assistance (17

Results
According to the results, the mean age of the adolescents was 14.5±2.5 years. The majority of adolescents (51%) were male. Also, most fathers (67%) were self-employed, and most mothers (80%) were housewives (Table 1).   (20) of self-efficacy; in other words, it reduced selfefficacy. However, the adolescents' score of selfefficacy improved with an increase in the score of conversation orientation (Table 3)

Discussion
The present study was conducted to investigate the